


Stowaways in the Sky

by notfreyja, Straight_Outta_Hobbiton



Series: Meteors Fright The Fixed Stars [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Family Reunions, Gen, Hanukkah, Stowaways, doubt the stars verse, the pike twins (OCs)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-03-01 22:05:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13304256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notfreyja/pseuds/notfreyja, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Straight_Outta_Hobbiton/pseuds/Straight_Outta_Hobbiton
Summary: Ever since meeting his Dad and his entire mess of a family, David Kirk has always been invited to Hanukkah on New Vulcan. There's just one little problem this year: the Pike twins and Demora Sulu are coming too, with or without permission.And Joanna McCoy is a smuggler, not a bus driver, damn it.





	1. Chapter 1

Peter:

As always, you are invited to our Hanukkah celebrations. Saavik is, of course, also welcome.

 

David:

Yeah, we’re coming.

Jo’s emptied the cargo bay of all things suspicious just for the trip.

 

Peter:

That is most kind of her.

We await your arrival.

 

David:

See you soon.

  


*.*

  
  


With most of their weird jigsaw puzzle of a family off planet, weekly dinners at the Pikes’ have somehow become a thing. So Chris has found himself with a house full of loud, scary, genius children.

 

The sad thing is, he’s used to it by now.

 

“David, will you be coming over for Christmas?”

 

“Hmm?” David looks up from his and Connor’s chess game. “Oh, no, sorry. Going to Hannukah with Peter’s family.”

 

Chris blinks.

 

“Oh, right,” he says. “Spock mentioned that they overlap this year, I forgot. I assume you’re going too, Saavik?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Saavik says. “It is always a fascinating time.”

 

“But Davey, you’re always around for Christmas,” Demora says, frowning. “Why do you have to go to Hannukah for Christmas?”

 

“Because that’s the way it is, peanut.” He pulls her into a side and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t worry, you’ll still get my present.”

 

“I don’t care about presents,” Demora says. “You’re always here. What’s so special about Hanukkah?”

 

David shrugs.

 

“Family time with Peter and Uncle Sarek,” he says. “They only see me once a year, you know.”

 

“David, it is nearly six. We must leave if do not wish to be late,” Saavik says, gently lifting Tubey from her lap and settling her onto the couch. “Thank you for inviting us for dinner, Admiral. I hope the Commander will be able to join us next time.”

 

“Of course, Saavik.” Chris smiles. “Number One said she’ll only be gone another day or so. Brass has been trying to convince her to take a captaincy.”

 

“She will not take it? Why not?”

 

Chris’ smile is a little sad.

 

“She won’t go to space without me.”

 

David presses his hand against the small of Saavik’s back when she opens her mouth to ask for clarification.

 

“Thanks for having us, Gramps,” he says. “Merry Christmas, guys. Be good, alright? Santa can pull your names from the nice list last minute.”

 

“Santa Claus is not real, David,” Connor says, eyebrow arched.

 

“Yeah, well, whatever.”

 

The door shuts behind him when Tubey turns to her father.

 

“Where is Hanukkah, Dad?” she asks.

 

Chris pinches his lips against the smile.

 

“Sarek’s place,” he says. “Come on, time to clean up. You’re on dish duty tonight.”

 

Tubey rolls her eyes but hops to it, catching Connor by the hand to drag him along.

 

“It’s not fair,” he hears Connor mutter to Tubey. “How come David gets to go to Hanukkah and we can’t?”

 

Chris snorts. Kids, right? They’re so cute, sometimes.

 

“Space Grandpa,” Demora starts slowly, eyes wide. “What did Connor mean, that Santa isn’t real?”

 

Something in him goes cold. Think fast, Christopher.

 

“Oh no, sweetie, he’s real! Santa Claus is very real!”

 

Tubey crosses her arms. “Then why does Number One say he is not?”

 

“Well… you see…”

 

“Are you trying to tell us Mom lied?” Connor pipes in.

 

He can fix this. “Nobody lied. Santa just comes to human children. So of course Demora, if you’ve been a good girl this year, Santa Claus will bring you wonderful presents.”

 

For a moment Chris thinks his babbling has actually worked. His kids accept the logic of their Illyrian heritage voiding out the Terran myth, and Demora no longer looks to be on the verge of tears.

 

Crisis averted.

 

That is until Demora opens her mouth again. “So… Santa’s racist?”

 

Ben’s gonna _kill_ him.

  


*.*

  


“Hanukkah must be the name of Uncle Sarek’s estate,” Connor murmurs thoughtfully that evening. Demora is spending the night, as she does most Saturdays, already tucked under the floral blankets of her little pullout bed between them. “The English name estates belonging to important people. Why shouldn’t Vulcans?”

 

“It does not make sense that David and Saavik would be the only two invited to ‘family time’,” Tubey says. “We are also family.”

 

“I wanna go, too,” Demora says, pouting. “Santa is a racist meanie. If David leaves, then Christmas will be totally _ruined.”_

 

“You bring up a good point, Tubey,” Connor says, ignoring his little cousin. “We are also considered family. It is unlikely we’d be barred from a familial event.”

 

“It is only on Vulcan,” Tubey adds. “Not so far, really. If we can find a civilian ship willing to take us, it is unlikely Uncle Sarek would turn us away.”

 

“No one will take us. We are too young to travel without parental supervision.”

 

Demora sighs.

 

“Maybe Jo’ll take us along,” she says. “I mean, she’s already taking David and Saavik.”

 

There is a pause.

 

“That is… a possibility,” Tubey muses. “I will call her in the morning.”

 

“Daddy won’t let me go unless Papa says it’s okay, though,” Demora says. “And Papa won’t let me go alone.”

 

“Let me talk to Jo in the morning,” Tubey says. “We’ll work something out.”

  


*.*

  


“Not on your life,” Jo says. “I am not being held responsible for Number One’s children. She will kill me in the night if either of you get a goddamn scratch, and I don’t even want to think about Mr. Sulu’s reaction. _No.”_

 

“But Jo—”

 

Jo hangs up on her, but Tubey doesn’t take it to heart. Jo is rarely fully coherent before noon, most days.

 

“She will not change her mind,” Connor says. “She is not incorrect in her observations of our mother.”

 

“So,” Demora says, frowning. “What do we do?”

 

“Well, Demora,” Tubey says slowly. “It appears we will have to be creative.”

 

“How so, sister?” Connor asks.

 

“Jo is remarkably unobservant,” Tubey says. “All we have to do is sneak onto her ship.”

 

“What about permission?” Demora says. “Daddy definitely won’t let me go like that.”

 

“Mother will not be pleased if we miss Christmas, either,” Connor adds. “Neither will Dad.”

 

“It is all in the dissemination of information,” Tubey says. “We will inform Mother of our plans, of course, and ask her to remain silent on our behalf until she is on-planet to talk to Father in person. She will be home the evening after tomorrow. Jo will be leaving with David and Saavik that afternoon. That’s plenty of time for us. As for your parents, Demora, well…” she smiles. “If you do as exactly as I say, you should have the required permission.”

  


*.*

  


Demora:

Papa, I wanna go to Hanukkah with David and Saavik and everybody. Is that okay?

 

Papa:

Hanukkah?

I mean, yeah, if you want. I didn’t know David celebrated.

Just ask Daddy, okay?

 

Demora:

Okay!

I love you, Papa.

 

Demora:

Love you too, munchkin.

  


*.*

  


“Daddy, Davey and Saavik and the twins are all going to Hannukah on Vulcan and invited me along,” Demora says on their way home from the Pikes. “Can I go?”

 

“Well, sweetie, you’ll have to ask your Papa,” Ben says. “Vulcan’s kind of far away.”

 

“I know— I already asked.” Demora fumbles for her comm to show her father. “See? He said it was okay if I went to Hannukah.”

 

Ben looks over the messages. Well, if Hikaru is okay with it…

 

“Who would take you?” he asks.

 

“Jo’s taking us all.”

 

“Who will you be staying with?”

 

“Uncle Sarek.”

 

“Oh, if that’s the case…” Sarek is her godfather— for good luck, according to Hikaru. He’ll take care of her. He seems to enjoy children— as much as a Vulcan can seem to enjoy anything, anyway.

 

Hikaru has always been the one who worried about Demora traveling off-planet. Especially since Yorktown. The fact that he’s said okay is reason enough to let Demora go. Knowing his husband, he’s already triple-checked everything.

 

“Well, I suppose that’s alright,” he says. “When are they planning on leaving?”

 

“Tomorrow.”

 

“Not much time for packing,” Ben muses. “Alright. If your Papa’s okay with it, I have no objections. Not so long as you comm me every night. And morning. And afternoon.”

 

Demora giggles.

 

“Daddy, you’re funny,” she says. “I’ll call you every day, I promise.”

 

Ben grins.

 

He has such a good kid.

  


*.*

  


Number Two:

Mother, Number Three and I would like to accompany David and Saavik on Jo’s ship to visit Sarek.

 

Mother:

I suppose it is that time of year. Is anyone else aware of your plans?

 

Number Two:

Only Demora. It would be preferable if you did not tell Dad until you were planetside. He will not be happy.

 

Mother:

He will not.

I will keep your confidence, provided you are not surprised when your father demands to be taken to Vulcan.

 

Number Two:

Of course not. Thank you, Mother.

 

Mother:

Do not get caught by Jo until you are suitably far from Earth. She will not hesitate to turn around and leave you.

 

Number Two:

Noted.

  


*.*

  


Number One:

You will have additional guests for your Hanukkah celebrations, Ambassador.

 

Ambassador Sarek:

Your children?

 

Number One:

Affirmative. It appears David mentioned it at the last family gathering. I also have a strong suspicion that Demora may accompany them. She is aware of their plans.

Miss McCoy is not.

 

Ambassador Sarek:

Understood. I will set up the extra guest rooms.

  


*.*


	2. Chapter 2

It doesn’t take Tubey long to convince her Dad that her and Connor will be spending the weekend at the Sulu’s. They babysit Demora on a regular basis, so he doesn’t ask too many questions.

 

She’s almost disappointed in her father. He may be a human, but he should know them well enough by now to develop a healthy dose of suspicion.

 

From there, it only takes a little bit of smooth talking to get Demora out of the house without Ben getting too worked up about it all. There’s yet another miracle when he takes without question their statement that they were meeting Jo and David at the ship (which is technically true).

 

Honestly, all of their parents are just a tad bit too trusting— you know, considering who said parents were and still are.

 

Blind trust aside, Mr. Sulu still almost makes them late with the amount of emotion that he displays over Demora’s departure from the house.

 

“Alright,” he bends down, fussing on the straps of her backpack. “You call me the second you land, okay?”

 

“Yes, Daddy.”

 

“And you be good for Uncle Sarek. And Joanna. And listen to your big cousins.”

 

“I will, Daddy.”

 

Demora’s innocent angel smile is  _ good.  _ Tubey is impressed, and that means something— probably not anything good, but it’s not Tubey’s fault her mind immediately jumps to all the schemes that she’s just a touch too sly-seeming to pull on her own.

 

“Okay.” Ben gives her a overly strong hug and rises back to his full height. “First trip without me, kiddo. Have fun.” 

 

Oh, she will.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Seeing as Jo owns a smuggling ship, it’s not that hard to find a hiding spot where the three of them will not be found. At least, they hope that they won’t be found. The delays caused by their parents slowed them down enough though that Connor has just finished snapping the wall panel that conceals them back into place when they hear the ship’s bay doors whine open.

 

That was close.

 

Demora all but holds her breath as her older cousins come aboard the ship. The panel that Tubey had chosen in quite a bit of haste was hidden in plain sight, a false wall in Jo’s small ship’s oversized cargo bay. They were going to have to be very quiet.

 

“Come on, Jo,” comes David’s voice, dripping with excitement. “Get us in the air, I’ve waited all year for this.”

 

They hear Joanna snort rather than reply.

 

“... Oh shut up, Saavik.” David again, still more amused than anything.

 

_ Damn their bond,  _ Tubey thinks. She can’t very well eavesdrop on a silent conversation.

With no warning, there is a heavy  _ thud _ as someone places a bag down directly in front of their hiding spot. Good thing they have plenty of elbow room in here, because now there won’t be anywhere else to go until after they land and unload.

 

Well, shoot.

 

Hopefully no one will have to pee.

  
  


*.*

  
  


About two hours into the trip, Tubey allows herself to relax with a sense of victory. Soon they will be arriving at Hanukkah, and they will show their family that they are definitely old enough to be invited to these things from now on.

 

A few more hours pass. Connor leans into her in the dark, “How long is this flight again?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

Tubey shushes him. “It can’t be that far, Three. Calm down.”

 

And calm down he does. Using his formal designation always shuts Connor up. Tubey doesn’t know why it should, though. It is his name after all. Then again if someone were to call her  _ Beatrice _ rather than Two, or Tubey, well…

 

Huh. She honestly does not know what she would do.

 

Fascinating.

  
  


*.*

  
  


They awake in total darkness and silence, the steady hum of the engines that had lulled them to sleep noticeably missing.

 

With no way to gauge what the situation outside of their compartment is like, Connor and Tubey debate for a moment about whether or not they should wake Demora.

 

“I’m telling you, Connor, we’re there.”

 

“You can’t know that for sure, sis. And even if we are, what if Jo is still on the ship?”

 

“Why would she be?”

 

He shrugs. “I don’t know, what if she is? Or David? Or worse...  _ Saavik. _ ”

 

Tubey purses her lips. “Saavik is admittedly terrifying when angered. However, she is our cousin, and family does not harm family.” She sighs. “Besides, they’re going to find us eventually, and we’re already here. What are they going to do, turn around and fly home? After landing?”

 

She may have a point.

 

“So we just... go?”

 

A sharp nod. 

 

“Okay, I’ll wake Demora.”

  
  


*.*

  
  


Turns out that their hunch was right. There does not appear to be a single living soul on this vessel. Now it’s just out the way they came in and straight on to Hanukkah!

 

Connor can’t help but think how easily this has all gone. He had honestly been expecting something to go horribly wrong by now. Not that he’s complaining, mind. It’s just that their plans never go this smoothly. Ever.

 

Does he even need to mention the Replicator Incident?

 

No. Best not.

 

Regardless, nothing goes wrong this time, and they gather their things and gingerly climb out of the wall. It’s much easier to pop the panel back into place from this side. If he didn’t know any better, Connor would have said that the panel didn’t move at all.

 

Jo’s ship is so cool. Possibly even cooler than the  _ Enterprise, _ though Connor knows better than to even suggest such a thing within earshot of anyone in his family. They all love that ship a scary amount. Even his Mother, and she’s never been on it.

 

The one time he asked her about it, she simply clutched the metal bolt she wears on a chain around her neck and said, “She’s a friend of a friend.”

 

Connor had never heard his mother anthropomorphize anything before, and never has since.

 

Well, weird romanticism from every adult he knows aside, Connor supposes the _ Enterprise  _ must be a nice ship. Nevertheless, he likes Jo’s better. 

 

He can never tell Jim.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Getting the door open is even easier from inside the ship. Jo really ought to work on her security. As it lowers, the blinding New Vulcan Sun floods the cargo bay.

 

“Wait!” Demora drops her bags to the floor and hurriedly unzips her suitcase. “We can’t go out there yet, hang on!”

 

“Is something the matter?” Asks Tubey, voice flat, but her mouth pinched in concern.

 

“No, I just… Ah-ha!” She triumphantly pulls, of all things, a large bright blue, floral print sun hat out of her suitcase, waving it in the air like a trophy. “Daddy packed this for me so I wouldn’t get sunburnt.”

 

Connor and Tubey exchange a look.

 

Kids.

 

“Okay, then.” Connor shakes his head. “Let’s go find Hanukkah.”

  
  


*.*


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! The good news is that both of us have sat down and committed to this, so expect regular updates here from now on.

Jo and David enter Sarek’s home like the human hurricanes that they are. Dragging sand in behind them and cursing up a storm, complaining about the heat and the sand, and the  _ gravity _ of all things. They spend so long complaining about the ambient conditions of the planet that if Sarek did not know any better, he would think that they genuinely hated it here.

 

Fortunately Sarek does know better. In fact, he has grown to know those two humans rather well over the past few years.

 

He interrupts their rantings. “I trust your journey went well.”

 

“Yeah, no thanks to Jo’s driving.” David teases.

 

“Hey!”

 

Saavik, bless her, has yet to say a single word. Nor did she manage to bring the entirety of the desert into the foyer with her. “David, behave. Hello, Peter.”

 

Peter walks into the room, only to be immediately yanked into a hug by David.

 

“Cousin, you are crushing me.”

 

No one says anything about how, despite his words, Peter hugs back just as hard.

 

The scene is picturesque. A snapshot of their big crazy family that Amanda would have been proud of. There is just one thing wrong.

 

“Where are the children?” Sarek inquires. “The little ones, I mean.”

 

Saavik raises her eyebrow. “We did not bring any additional company, nor did we inform you that we had planned to.”

 

Oh no. “I assure you that I was lead to believe that Admiral Pike’s children would be present and perhaps young Miss Sulu as well.”

 

It clicks with Joanna first.

 

“Shit, they stowed away!”

 

David’s eyes grow wide. “We left the ship in a public yard, they could be anywhere by now.”

 

“Then we’d best go out to look for them,” Peter interjects, immediately taking control of the situation. “You stay here, Uncle, in case they return.”

 

Hopefully this will not take too long. Number One would kill them all if her children got heat stroke.

  
  


*.*

  
  


When their eyes adjust to the hot New Vulcan sun, the children are greeted with the sight of not one building, but many. They are in a cleared space, free of permanent structures, but cluttered with various space capable vessels, tall buildings towering on all sides.

 

“We are lost,” Connor announces deadpan with no prompting. He knew that something was going to go wrong.

 

“We are not lost,” Tubey insists, rolling her eyes at her brother’s continued pessimism. “Jo must have landed as close to Hanukkah as possible, so we know that they are nearby.”

 

Demora frowns, turning in a slow circle to take in the alien architecture surrounding them. “Do we know his address?”

 

Tubey sighs.

 

“I knew it!” Connor snaps. “We’re lost, Two. Just admit it.”

 

“Maybe we could ask someone for directions?” Demora suggests, gripping her bag tightly.

 

The twins look at each other, debating. There really isn’t much need for discussion. While wandering around asking a random stranger for directions isn’t the best of plans, it’s not like they are likely to come up with one much better.

 

“Okay,” Tubey says at last. “Let’s hope we can find someone who speaks Standard.”

 

And with that, they walk out of the shipyard and into the crowded town streets.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Jo:

They aren’t on the ship. But they were here.

 

Sarek:

How are you sure?

 

Jo:

They left the door open.

And nothing was taken, so I know it wasn’t thieves.

 

David:

No luck on my end either. It’s going to take a while to search the entire town.

 

Peter:

With luck, we will not have to.

 

Jo:

Luck? With the Pike twins?

 

Peter:

Fair enough.

 

David:

If you hear logical panicking, go towards it.

  
  


*.*

  
  


The search has been on for about an hour when Sarek receives an incoming call from Ben Sulu. He answers it, a feeling of dread settling in his chest.

 

“Hey, Sarek, can you put Demora on for me? She was supposed to call when she arrived.”

 

“I cannot.”

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

Stalling is illogical. He will find out soon regardless. “The Pike twins and your daughter are presently unaccounted for.”

 

“What the fuck does that mean ‘unaccounted for?’” Ben sounds madder than Sarek has ever heard him. In fact, Sarek is unsure if he has ever heard the man mad before at all. “Are you telling me that you lost my kid?”

 

“I have done no such thing,” Sarek insists. “She lost herself when she stowed away on Joanna’s ship.”

 

There’s a beat of silence.

 

“I’m going to kill her.”

 

“I would recommend against infanticide, Mr. Sulu.”

 

“I’m calling ‘Karu.”

 

Without so much as a farewell, the line goes dead. Sarek knows what Hikaru Sulu’s involvement in this will mean. The man is rather protective of his daughter.

 

He sighs to himself an heads upstairs to make up the rest of the guest rooms.

 

Hopefully he has enough.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Demora likes Vulcan, she decides after about fifteen minutes of aimless wandering. It is rather hot out, but the air tastes so much cleaner than it does at home. And the ground feels a lot more solid than it did at Yorktown.

 

That, and the buildings are really pretty. And all the people are wearing these really cool robes.

 

The only problem is that they really have no idea where they are going.

 

And the last three times Connor tried to ask for directions, not a single Vulcan knew where they could find Hanukkah.

 

This is starting to look like it will not be as easy as they thought.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Space has been really boring this week. Like, really boring. There’s been no near-death experiences by any member of the  _ Enterprise  _ crew. In a month.

 

Don’t get him wrong. It’s not like Jim  _ wants  _ his crew in danger. Not at all. He just doesn’t want to be this bored. They don’t even have real orders at the moment, just a general area Command told them to check out. The good news is that it’s unexplored space. The bad news is that there’s  _ nothing here. _

 

The only ones actually enjoying themselves are Navigation. They like making new star charts.

 

So Jim is actually a little excited when Uhura calls out, “Captain, there’s a call from a civilian channel marked urgent.”

 

He sits upright, attention fully caught. “Point of origin?”

 

“Earth, sir.”

 

The entire bridge goes still.

 

“Onscreen.”


	4. Chapter 4

Of all the people Jim was expecting to appear on the viewscreen, Ben Sulu was not on the top of the list. Actually, he wasn’t on the list at all. Before Jim can say a word, Hikaru practically yelps out, “What’s wrong?”

 

“Hey guys.” Ben answers. “Sorry about this, I know you’re probably busy, but umm... this is kind of a time-sensitive problem.”

 

“Ben.” Sulu is not having it. He abandons his post, coming to stand next to Jim, putting himself in view of the call.

 

His husband gulps. He might be regretting calling the ship.

 

“It’s okay, man,” Jim assures him. “You’re not interrupting anything.”

 

Ben visibly steels himself. “Demora never made it to Sarek’s. Nobody knows where she is. Or the twins, either.”

 

Sulu blinks, dumbfounded. “What do you mean, she never made it to  _ Sarek’s? _ ”

 

“Apparently Jo didn’t actually offer to take her, and she stowed away.”

 

There’s a moment of complete and utter silence. If a pin had dropped on the bridge, it would be loud. 

 

And then Sulu speaks, slowly, every word hitting heavy. “You mean to tell me, that not only is our daughter on New Vulcan, but that she’s  _ lost. _ ”

 

Ben’s eyes go wide. “You didn’t know she was going to Sarek’s?”

 

“How the  _ fuck _ would I have known that?”

 

Pavel shoots Jim a panicked look. A look that Jim feels. There is no way that this conversation is going to go well, and he’s caught in the middle of it. He kind of wants to give Sulu the chair just to escape.

 

“That little shit,” Ben hisses, realization soaking his voice. “She lied to both of us. She told me you knew.”

 

“So…” Jim interrupts, and almost regrets it immediately. “Do we go to New Vulcan?”

 

“You’re closer,” Ben says with a helpless shrug.

 

Sulu nods. “That would be great, Captain. I’d like to find my daughter while she still in one piece so I can kill her myself.”

 

Spock and Jim make eye contact, the Vulcan’s eyebrows almost up to his hairline, the question clear.  _ Parent’s are illogical,  _ Jim thinks loudly, which his bondmate seems to take as reasonable explanation. “Okay, Uhura, get a hold of Command, let’s see if we can buy some free time.”

  
  


*.*

  
  


“Are you lost, children?”

 

The three of them stop in their tracks, turning towards the source of the voice. There is a grown Vulcan man, a few paces behind them, head tilted in question.

 

Demora elbows Tubey in the ribs, prompting her to speak. “We are, yes.”

 

“May I be of assistance?”

 

“Do you know the way to Hanukkah?”

 

The stranger’s eyes furrow in puzzlement. “I am unfamiliar with that place. Do you know what it may be located near.”

 

Connor sighs. “It’s where Ambassador Sarek lives.”

 

“Sarek, Ambassador to Earth?” The Vulcan asks.

 

“Yes!” Demora answers with an excited grin.

 

“I was unaware that the Ambassador had named his estate, however I am in knowledge of it’s location. I shall call you a shuttle.”

 

“Thank you,” Connor looks like he wants to cry. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Gratitude is unnecessary.”

  
  


*.*

  
  


Sarek hears a shuttle approaching long before he sees it. He goes out the front door, and watches as it appears, pulls up, and deposits three humanoid children.

 

“Hi Uncle Sarek!” Demora’s voice calls over the hum of the shuttle’s engine as it peels away.

 

He waits at the door for them to walk up, sending a message to the family group chat as he does.

  
  


Sarek:

The children have been found, unharmed.

  
  


He communicator immediately starts chiming, but he pays it no mind.

 

The children get up to the door, all having the grace to look a little bashful, all looking a little redder than Sarek remembers, and most certainly coated in more sand than they ought to be.

 

“You are unharmed?”

 

“Yes, just a little sunburnt.” Beatrice Pike answers.

 

He nods, opening the door. “Then go inside, out of the heat. I will call you parents.”

 

The three of them freeze.

 

“Do you have to?” Connor asks.

 

“Yes.”

 

The children sigh, trudging into the house.

 

Sarek follows them in, pulling out his Comm. This will not be a particularly short or pleasant conversation.

  
  


*.*

  
  


It is unnaturally silent when Number One walks through the doorway of the little place the Pikes call home. If she did not know prior to her arrival that the children were not in the house, she would be worried that someone was dead.

 

“Hey, honey!” Chris calls from the living room.

 

She rolls her eyes at the moniker, shutting the door behind herself and walking towards his voice. Chris is stretched out across the couch, smiling up at her, a PADD balanced on his lap.

 

“Thought I’d get some reading done while the kids were out of the house.” He explains. “They’re at the Sulu’s, by the way.”

 

She loves being the one to break bad news to him. “No, they are not.”

 

He blinks. “Huh?”

 

“Our children are better liars than you believe them to be, Christopher.” She sighs. “They are at Sarek’s.”

 

To her husband’s credit, he doesn’t react much, just closes his eyes and visibly counts to three. “Demora is with them, isn’t she?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Okay.” He pushes himself fully upright, and pulls his wheelchair, which had been sitting a few feet from the couch, into better reach. “Go find us a flight.”

 

“Where to, Christopher?”

 

“Don’t fucking play coy with me, One.”

 

She smiles faintly and snatches up his PADD.


	5. Chapter 5

When the older children return from the search, Sarek is once again thankful for Saavik’s presence. For while David is the embodiment of concern for his younger cousins, and Peter is that of relief, Joanna is pure irritation that the events unfolded in the first place.

 

Saavik, on the other hand, is nothing but calm acceptance. And Sarek is grateful for it.

 

The children immediately start talking over each other, filling his overcrowded living room with high-pitched yells, squeals, and shrieks. Suddenly, Sarek can’t help the overwhelming sense of appreciation for Peter and his quiet, reserved nature. He’d forgotten how loud Humans can be, when enough of them come together, and how much louder their young are in comparison.

 

“We just wanted to be included!” Beatrice shouts.

 

Joanna snaps, “So you thought that you should stow away? On _ my  _ ship?”

 

“Well maybe if you had thought to invite us—” Connor tries to add but is immediately cut off by David.

 

“And it never occurred to you to just ask?”

 

“You would have just told us no!” Insists Demora, backed up by the twins nodding in agreement.

 

And then the shouting becomes so overlayed that Sarek can not follow it at all.

 

He has had enough.

 

“If you would all cease shouting.”

 

Thankfully, they listen, all voices quieting in unison, though the Pike girl for some unknown reason sticks her tongue out at Joanna.

 

“Thank you.” Sarek takes a deep breathe to maintain his calm before continuing. “While we were waiting for the search party to return, I took the liberty of contacting your parents and they are on their way.”

 

“Whose parents?” Saavik inquires. At least it’s a rational question.

 

“All of your parents,” he clarifies.

 

The screaming resumes. Fortunately, none of the children are foolish enough to yell at him.

  
  


*.*

  
  


Fortunately for the three young ones, the  _ Enterprise  _ is still a day out. And the twin’s parents won’t get their for a day after that. So they have a grace period. To come up with a defense and work on their innocent looks.

 

At least Uncle Sarek hasn’t saw fit to punish them himself.

 

Though it does take the better part of three hours for the twins to convince Joanna that she doesn’t hate them. And even then, she’s still a little irritated.

 

Which won’t do. If their parents are coming to ground them for the rest of their lives, then they need all the help that they can get. And Tubey is no idiot. She knows that the way to win over any member of her family individually, is to convince the family as a whole.

 

As smart as their clan is, they all are pretty easily victim to the mob mentality— provided the mob is related, anyway.

 

It goes like this: Jo can do no wrong as far as Uncle Bones and Jim are concerned. So if she can convince Jo to defend them, then Bones and Jim will follow suit. And Number One usually agrees with Jim, if for no other reason than to annoy their father— unless he’s done something to irritate her, in which case, she will agree with Jim out of spite.

 

Outnumbered, their father will cave, lecture them a little, and let it go. And with no one else in the room actually mad anymore, Sulu won’t be able to punish Demora too harshly. It’s hard to stay mad when you don’t have anyone helping to fuel the fire.

 

All of this is perfectly obvious to Tubey. All she has to do now is get Jo to stop scowling at them.

 

Something she honestly isn’t sure how to do.

 

… But maybe Connor might.

 

“Brother, help me unpack.” Tubey orders. She has to get him out of the common areas. Whatever plan they come up with won’t work if Jo knows that they are conspiring against her. Again.

 

“Are you sure you guys should even bother?” Speak of the devil. “Your parents are probably going to drag you right back home.”

 

Tubey contains her eye roll. Barely. “I would prefer to assume that we shall stay at least another night. And mother says if you are staying more than one night, it is fortuitous to unpack.”

 

“Fine, waste your time.” Jo rolls her eyes and goes back to letting Demora talk her ear off about whatever it is eight year olds like to talk about.

 

Connor shoots Tubey a suspicious look, but gets up and follows her up the stairs. She leads them into the room they are sharing with Demora, and shuts the door. Without a moment's hesitation she starts to fill him in.

 

“So I got to thinking—”

 

“That’s always dangerous.”

 

She glares, and her brother chuckles. But he inclines his head for her to continue. “By the social hierarchy in our extended family, all we have to do to avoid real punishment is to get Jo on our side. Having Peter as well will help, but Jo is essential.”

 

Connor sighs. “Two, she is decidedly unhappy with us. I don’t think even Demora can sweet talk her that fast.”

 

“So what do we do?”

 

He chews on his bottom lip, glancing around the room. “Shit, this is a hard one. Umm…” Suddenly his eyes light up. “Family bonding activity!”

 

“Elaborate.”

 

“Well we can’t convince her rationaly in the time that we have. You know how the McCoy’s are. But we can appeal to sentimentality. And the easiest way to do that without arousing suspicion is to do a group bonding activity that will invoke the desired sentimentality.”

 

Tubey grins. “You know, sometimes I worry that I might not be the smart one.”

 

He smirks. “Only sometimes?”

 

She playfully punches his arm.

 

“We do have a problem, though.” Connor says with a frown. “I have no idea what said activity should be.”

 

“We have to involve Demora again, don’t we?”

 

“Looks like.”

 

They both sigh, and then start to unpack as quickly as possible. It wouldn’t do to blow their own alibi.

  
  


*.*

  
  


To Demora’s credit, it takes her less than a minute to come up with something once they fill her in.

 

“Family photo,” she says, shoving her clothes into drawers like they told her to do.

 

“Why that?” Ask Connor.

 

She shrugs. “Jo’s kind of old, and old people love pictures. That and I saw this really funny group photo from when our aunts and uncles were little. We could recreate it.”

 

Tubey narrows her eyes. “And what would be the purpose of such an exercise?”

 

“Well, it’s funny, so trying to get in the pose would make everyone laugh. And laughing cheers people up, which will help win over Jo. Besides, if the whole point here is to use Jo to convince everyone else not to ground us, the reenactment should make the rest of the adults happy too.” Demora finishes with a grin, clearly proud of herself.

 

“Show us,” the twins say in unison.

 

Demora drops the clothes in her hand onto the bed and goes to do just that.

 

“After you unpack,” Tubey adds.

  
  


*.*

  
  


She shows them the photo, nestled on Sarek's desk in his office. Tubey blinks. “Connor, we have that same picture at home. This will definitely please our parents.”

 

He grins. “It is rather funny.”

 

Demora bounces slightly. “I told you guys, it’s perfect!”

 

Tubey smiles softly to herself.

 

It really is.


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast is a team sport. Everyone gets a job, and in less than ten minutes a pile of haphazard food items is assembled on the dining room table. The whole procedure is a little odd for Peter and Sarek, but for the Terrans, it’s just another day with the family over.

 

The meal itself is pure and utter chaos. Everyone is talking over each other and passing plates around. With everyone in one place, it will be the easiest time to try to convince them all to go along with their plan. The problem is, no one will shut up long enough for Tubey to say anything without it coming off as an obvious ploy.

 

But they are running out of time. The  _ Enterprise  _ will be there in a matter of hours.

 

It’s Demora that finally broaches the subject. “Uncle Sarek, the picture on your desk is really funny.”

 

“You were in my office?” He questions with an expressionless face. The chaos of the table crashes into silence with startling abruptness. 

 

To her credit, Demora doesn’t even blink, her innocent smile showing not a crack. “I was exploring yesterday. Why, was I not supposed to go in there? I’m sorry.”

 

A faint but undoubtedly fond smile graces Sarek’s lips. “Think nothing of it. To which photo are you referring to, Miss Sulu?”

 

Her grin brightens. “The one with all my aunts and uncles! Where Uncle Spock is punching Aunt Gaila!”

 

Jo chokes on her coffee, nearly spilling it all over herself. “I’m sorry, what?”

 

“You haven’t seen that?” Connor exclaims. “We have a copy of that at home, our Dad thinks it’s hilarious.”

 

“I know which image you are referring to,” Peter adds with a chuckle. “It is quite funny.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this.” David cuts in. “Actually I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of our parents pre-academy.”

 

“Oh, we’re fixing that.” Without any further prompting Peter pushes out his chair and darts out of the room. “Just a moment!”

 

He returns a moment later and drops back into his seat, thrusting a frame across the table and into Jo’s hands.

 

“Oh… my god.” She gaps, eyes wide. David jumps to his feet and heads over to lean over her shoulder, and he immediately starts laughing. 

 

“Why is Spock punching Gaila in the face?”

 

“And why is he pushing Jim to the ground?” Saavik adds.

 

Sarek sighs. “She came running into frame rather unexpectedly. And as James was recovering from an illness, he was a touch… overprotective.”

 

“This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Joanna declares, and then starts laughing.

 

Tubey sees her window. “You know what we should do before the  _ Enterprise  _ gets here?” Everyone looks at her expectantly. “We should recreate this! It’ll be so much fun!”

 

Demora nods, feigning surprise. “That does sound fun. I volunteer to be Gaila!”

 

Saavik eyebrows shoot up to her bangs. “You want me to punch you?”

 

Peter frowns. “Wait, why would you be Spock?”

 

“It makes sense to have you Kirks play your fathers. So since David will be the one falling over, it is only logical  that his bondmate should be the one to push him.”

 

Jo rolls her eyes. “Guess that makes me T’Pring.”

 

David playfully shoves her arm, still standing next to her chair. “What do you mean you guess? Of course you’re T’Pring.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘of course?’”

 

“Well, you  _ are  _ always third wheeling.” David teases.

 

“And you always look annoyed at everything we do,” adds Peter.

 

Jo manages to maintain a glare for less than a minute before cracking up. “Fine, I’ll be T’Pring.”

 

“Hang on,” Connor interrupts, “What about us? The only one left is Sybok, and there’s two of us.”

 

“We’ll figure it out.” Peter says, waving a dismissive hand.

 

Tubey exchanges a quick glance with her brother. This whole thing has turned out far easier to orchestrate than she thought it was going to be.

  
  


*.*

  
  


And figure it out they do.

 

Sarek agrees to humor the illogical children and actually capture the image. Getting everyone in their places is relatively easy. They line up in two neat rows on a short step in front of the house. David, and Saavik on the lower step, the twins, Joanna, and Peter above them.

 

Capturing the image turns out to be the real challenge. The original holo was such a candid, such an organically chaotic moment, that getting it right on purpose will be almost up to chance.

 

Their first attempt, where they all just tried to pose like the still-frame, ended in dismal failure. And then Peter takes charge.

 

It takes them an hour. An entire hour of standing in the hot merciless New Vulcan sun, but eventually, at long last, it’s perfect.

 

It is really, genuinely perfect.

 

All the twins and Demora can do now is hope that it’s enough. 

  
  


*.*

  
  


It takes them a little under a day to get to New Vulcan. Fortunately, Jim only had to spend about seven hours of that time in the same room as Sulu.

 

He loves Hikaru. He does.

 

He just doesn’t love his constant muttering about how he’s going to kill his daughter, and maybe the twins while he’s at it because, and Jim is quoting him here, ‘it’s not like Number One has ever even _ attempted  _ to teach them that their actions have consequences.’

 

Jim knows better than to argue with Sulu right now, but after all of this, Jim is going to have explain to him how scary Number One is as a mom.

 

Because she is terrifying.

 

The second the get into stable orbit around the orange ball of sand, Sulu is up and off of the bridge. Jim should say something about how his helmsman can’t just go and abandon his post, but the man is already gone to kill his daughter.

 

Looks like it’s up to Jim to be the rational one here— and isn’t that a scary thought? He has chills.

 

He calls the transporter room. “This is the Captain, don’t beam anyone down until I get there. Understood?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

This is going to be a long day.

  
  


*.*


	7. Chapter 7

Demora may be the littlest of all of her cousins, but she isn’t an idiot. She knows that she’s in big trouble. She also knows that she has a chance to get out of it.

So when she sees the slight glow of a transporter through the sitting room window, she doesn’t hesitate. She just moves.

She flings open the door, watching as six forms materialize into her family. There’s her uncles, Jim, Spock, and Bones, her aunt Gaila, David’s mom Carol, and… her father. Looking more mad than she’s ever seen him.

She only has one shot at this. Better make it count.

“Daddy!” She positively squeals, flinging herself off the front step and launching her body across the red sand. She barrels through Uncle Jim, and straight into her Dad, basically headbutting him in the stomach.

He lets out a small huff at the impact, arms wrapping around her automatically.

“I missed you,” she sighs, squeezing him tighter. There’s a moment’s hesitation, and then she can feel him relax, feel at least some of the anger bleeding out.

“You’re still in trouble.” He informs her, which makes Uncle Jim laugh. A laugh that is quickly cut off with a rather undignified squeak and a thud.

Demora lets go of her father, looking up in alarm. Apparently Jo had launched herself at Uncle Jim with the same ferocity that Demora had thrown herself at her father. The problem was, Jo is quite a bit taller than Uncle Jim.

But they’re both laughing, and then the twins are running out with a joint yell of “Siblings!” And Connor joins Jim and Jo on the desert floor, and Tubey literally jumps into Gaila’s arms.

And then the rest of her cousins all seem to come out the door at once, and it’s loud, and it’s chaos, but it’s her family.

And Demora wouldn’t have it any other way.

  
*.*

  
Somehow the entire gaggle moves into the house, and the space that before appeared slightly too large suddenly seems rather cozy.

Everyone has sprawled out across the entirety of the houses public spaces, conversations being shouting through doorways and across rooms, and it’s perfectly normal. The only one who is a little startled by the sheer amount of noise is Peter, but he’s quickly growing accustomed to it. It takes less than an hour for him to start talking to David at the top of his lungs from half a room away.

In the chaos of everyone catching up, Tubey seizes her moment.

“Jim!” she calls, jumping over Jo (she was laying rather inconveniently across the living room floor) and up onto her big brother’s lap. “Look what we made!”

And then she hands him an honest printed out photograph of their efforts that morning.

The laugh that peels from him is nearly manic. “Oh my god, Gaila! Look at this!”

Gaila seems to materialize in front of them, leaning over Tubey to see what it is Jim is holding.

“That’s fucking hilarious,” she deadpans. “I need a digital copy of that to send to everyone I know.”

“Do not curse in front of the children,” Sarek calls from the next room.

“Go give this to Spock.” Jim says as he hands it to her. Gaila disappears with the photo and a manic smile, leaving the two of them relatively alone. Jim’s voice drops to a whisper. “Playing the sentiment card, huh?”

The only answer Tubey gives is a utterly blank expression.

Jim chuckles. “Yeah, that's probably the smartest move here.”

“I don’t know what you are referring to.”

Jim opens his mouth to respond, then goes still, eyes slightly vacant. Tubey frowns. Telepathy can be kind of creepy. But less than a heartbeat later, he’s his overly animated self again, grinning. “I don’t think Spock has laughed than hard in months.”

Tubey just rolls her eyes.

  
*.*

  
Scotty and Uhura beam down a little later, with news that not only will T’Pring and Ben be there by morning, but that Command saw fit to grant the request for a week’s leave. The news is greeted with resounding cheers.

It’s only after Pike and Number One arrive with no warning a little after dinner that it hits Jim. The entire family is going to under one roof for the first time in years. It also occurs to him how large the entire family is.

He corners Sarek in the kitchen.

“You know that the crew can sleep on the ship, right? I know this was kind of last minute.”

Sarek raises his eyebrows. “Surely you were not under the impression that I did not expect this eventuality, sa-fu?”

Jim grins. “You have enough rooms for everyone, don’t you?”

“And a few to spare.”

Of course he does. After all, the Vulcan has been taking in his son’s strays for thirty years.

Huh. Time flies.

  
*.*

  
About three days into the week-long impromptu family vacation, Sarek runs out of groceries— the proper kind, that are grown rather than replicated. That in and of itself isn’t a problem— after all, what are son-in-laws and their extended families for if not to send out on errands while he, out of the goodness of his perfectly logical Vulcan heart, entertains their children and keeps them out of the sort of trouble typical of their family?

No, the problem isn’t that his house needs an Alpha-crew level resupply. It’s that— well, Jim Kirk is a friendly sort, and is charismatic enough that he can get anyone, even an infamously taciturn Vulcan shopkeeper, to talk to him.

“You are staying with Ambassador Sarek at Hanukkah, correct?” She asks as she helps him load his purchases into the back of the small shuttle Sarek had lent him for the expedition.

Jim blinks.

“At Hannukah?” he asks slowly.

The Vulcan nods serenely.

“When the young Terran children arrived, it came to our attention that the Ambassador’s place of residence was named Hanukkah,” she says. “Though I am unable to trace the etymology of the name, it is good to hear a prominent house has finally named their new home.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“It is traditional for the ancestral homes of the great clans to be given names,” she says, passing over a small crate of something sort of like potatoes. “With the destruction of Vulcan, many of these small traditions were lost. The gesture comforts many of our people, small as it may be. It implies… permanence.”

Jim never heard that before. He supposes he wouldn’t have, not being Vulcan and all. Spock’s family didn’t live in the main house, preferring a more central location due to Sarek’s diplomatic duties and Amanda’s personal preference for urban life.

“The kids told you Ambassador Sarek’s home was called… Hanukkah,” Jim says slowly.

“Affirmative.”

“That’s a Terran word, though.” Jim leans against the side of the shuttle. “If it’s supposed to be tradition, wouldn’t people be annoyed it’s named by Terran custom?”

“Ambassador Sarek’s only surviving heir is half-Human,” the woman points out, straightening her robes. “And he is raising a Human ward. It is only fitting that his family pay homage to its Terran roots. Some are… displeased, perhaps, but it is impossible to make a decision that leaves everyone completely satisfied.”

It hits Jim, quite suddenly, that Demora, Tubey, and Connor all come from relatively secular homes. They all go to a secular school. It’s not exactly out of the realm of possibility that they maybe didn’t understand what Hanukkah was when it was initially mentioned, and came up with a childishly logical explanation of their own, one that they used to find their way to their uncle’s house when they found themselves alone on a strange planet.

Oh, geez, that’s one hell of a miscommunication. Jim really wants to laugh, but he can’t, because apparently, his sister’s siblings and their closest cousin accidentally did something very important for Vulcan morale, something that has apparently spread to the point that the locals have taken it as a… a point of pride, maybe? Any explanation of the miscommunication now might cause… problems. Problems Jim doesn’t want to have any hand in making.

“Thank you,” he says instead, raising his hand in salute. “For helping me with the groceries, and for the lesson in Vulcan tradition. It was… enlightening.”

“May you find your shore leave satisfying, Captain Kirk,” she says, returning his salute. “And you may tell Sarek he need not be concerned— his home has already been logged with the appropriate registries.”

Jim manages to keep his cool until he pulls the shuttle away from the little grocery store. Once he’s on the main road, though, all bets are off.

The family’s going to lose their minds when he tells them about this little development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap, but it is not the end. The next installment is coming hot on the heels of this one.
> 
> Questions? Concerns?  
> Have our Tumblrs: [not-freyja](http://not-freyja.tumblr.com/) and [straight-outta-hobbiton](http://straight-outta-hobbiton.tumblr.com)


End file.
